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NASA News
National Aeronautics and
Space Administration

John F. Kennedy Space Center
Kennedy Space Center, Florida 32899
AC 321 867-2468
_____________________________________________________________________
For Release:  May 15, 2003

NASA Contact:

Tracy Young
321-867-2468

KSC Release No.  36 - 03

KSC VOLCANIC RESEARCH MAY ENHANCE SHUTTLE GAS DETECTION SYSTEMS

A research and development team from Kennedy Space Center (KSC)
recently used a new hazardous gas detection system to study volcanic
emissions in Costa Rica.  The new prototype system named the
Aircraft-based Volcanic Emission Mass Spectrometer (AVEMS) also will
have a direct application to the Space Shuttle Program.

The AVEMS is a step toward an advanced system that will be able to
detect toxic gas leaks and emissions in the Space Shuttle aft engine
compartment and the crew compartment, providing an added level of
protection for the astronauts and the vehicle.

"For Shuttle applications, it was especially helpful that we had the
opportunity to fly the system at altitudes of up to about 40,000
feet," said Dr. Richard Arkin, ASRC Aerospace Corp.'s lead designer.

Arkin, along with NASA project lead, Dr. Tim Griffin and members of
the KSC team used AVEMS to analyze gases vented from the Turrialba
volcano in Costa Rica.  The tests were conducted from the air and in
the volcano's crater. 

The study was the first to sample and quantitatively analyze fresh
volcanic gases in their natural state.  Active vents in volcanoes,
called fumaroles, produce toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide,
hydrogen sulfide, and carbon dioxide which, if too concentrated, can
be fatal. 

"Hikers on the volcanoes sometimes get cold then are attracted to the
warm vents.   When a large vent is producing massive amounts of
carbon dioxide, the carbon dioxide displaces oxygen, which could be
fatal to the hikers nearby," said Griffin.

The new system shows promise for commercial applications in a variety
of environments and industries such as semiconductor, petrochemical,
automotive, refrigeration and cathode ray tube.  The technology could
be used for breath and blood analysis as well as for monitoring air
quality in the workplace.

"Mass spectrometer technology could be used to ensure public safety
and equipment protection in so many areas," said Griffin.  "Previous
mass spectrometer systems have been so expensive and bulky that their
use was limited to laboratories."  The new system is small and mobile
and has the ability to easily and accurately produce in-depth data.

The Costa Rican project was part of the Costa Rican Airborne Research
and Technology (CARTA) mission and was funded through the National
Science Foundation.  Costa Rica USA (CRUSA), a consortium of Costa
Rican universities and government agencies, partnered on the project.

The inspiration for international cooperation that gave rise to the
study came from a discussion between NASA astronaut Franklin
Chang-Diaz and University of Costa Rica professor Dr. Jorge Andres
Diaz who previously served as a visiting scientist at KSC.

NASA's Johnson Space Center provided the WB-57F aircraft and support
for the nine research flights in the hazardous gas study.  Ames
Research Center (ARC) provided infrared and visible photography as
well as multispectral imaging on the mission.

Photos of the mission can be accessed by searching AVEMS at
http://mediaarchive.ksc.nasa.gov>.

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